Health: A Shingles Vaccine

If you've ever had shingles--a blistering rash that plagues about 1 million Americans each year, most of them elderly--chances are you know how devastating it can be. And if you've never had shingles--well, just wait. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox--a nasty little bundle of DNA that lies dormant in sensory nerves for decades after the initial infection until, for reasons that are still unclear, it is reawakened. Anyone who has ever had chicken pox is at risk of developing shingles, as well as the nerve damage that often accompanies the rash.